1980–81 Manchester United F.C. season
1980–81 season | ||||
Chairman | Martin Edwards | |||
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Manager | Dave Sexton | |||
First Division | 8th | |||
FA Cup | Fourth Round | |||
League Cup | Second Round | |||
UEFA Cup | First Round | |||
Top goalscorer |
League: Joe Jordan (15) All: Joe Jordan (15) | |||
Highest home attendance | 57,049 vs Liverpool (26 December 1980) | |||
Lowest home attendance | 31,656 vs Coventry City (27 August 1980) | |||
Average home league attendance | 44,099 | |||
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The 1980–81 season was Manchester United's 78th season in the Football League, and their 6th consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] It was the last of their four seasons under the management of Dave Sexton, who was sacked after the end of the season after failing to win the club a major trophy. Sexton was succeeded by West Bromwich Albion manager Ron Atkinson.
The club also paid a club record of more than £1 million for Nottingham Forest striker Garry Birtles, but the player was a huge disappointment and ended the season without having scored a single league goal for the club. The club's top scorer was Joe Jordan, who found the back of the net 15 times.
United were indeed one of the hardest teams to beat in the First Division this season, losing just nine out of 42 games, but they were also held to a draw on 18 occasions. This restricted them to eighth place finish - not even enough for a UEFA Cup place.
First Division
Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 August 1980 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–0 | Macari, Grimes, Thomas | 54,394 |
19 August 1980 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–1 | 31,955 | |
23 August 1980 | Birmingham City | A | 0–0 | 28,661 | |
30 August 1980 | Sunderland | H | 1–1 | Jovanović | 51,498 |
6 September 1980 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–0 | 40,995 | |
13 September 1980 | Leicester City | H | 5–0 | Coppell, Grimes, Jovanović (2), Macari | 43,229 |
20 September 1980 | Leeds United | A | 0–0 | 32,539 | |
27 September 1980 | Manchester City | H | 2–2 | Coppell, Albiston | 55,918 |
4 October 1980 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–1 | Macari, Coppell | 29,801 |
8 October 1980 | Aston Villa | H | 3–3 | McIlroy (2; 1 pen.), Coppell | 38,831 |
11 October 1980 | Arsenal | H | 0–0 | 49,036 | |
18 October 1980 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–1 | McIlroy (pen.) | 28,572 |
22 October 1980 | Stoke City | A | 2–1 | Jordan, Macari | 24,534 |
25 October 1980 | Everton | H | 2–0 | Jordan, Coppell | 54,260 |
1 November 1980 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–1 | 31,449 | |
8 November 1980 | Coventry City | H | 0–0 | 42,794 | |
12 November 1980 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–0 | 37,959 | |
15 November 1980 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–1 | Jordan | 20,606 |
22 November 1980 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 4–1 | Jordan (2), McIlroy, Duxbury | 23,923 |
29 November 1980 | Southampton | H | 1–1 | Jordan | 47,783 |
6 December 1980 | Norwich City | A | 2–2 | Bond (o.g.), Coppell | 18,780 |
13 December 1980 | Stoke City | H | 2–2 | Macari, Jordan | 39,568 |
20 December 1980 | Arsenal | A | 1–2 | Macari | 33,730 |
26 December 1980 | Liverpool | H | 0–0 | 57,049 | |
27 December 1980 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–3 | Jovanović | 38,615 |
10 January 1981 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–1 | McQueen, Macari | 42,208 |
28 January 1981 | Sunderland | A | 0–2 | 31,910 | |
31 January 1981 | Birmingham City | H | 2–0 | Jordan, Macari | 39,081 |
7 February 1981 | Leicester City | A | 0–1 | 26,085 | |
17 February 1981 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–0 | 40,642 | |
21 February 1981 | Manchester City | A | 0–1 | 50,114 | |
28 February 1981 | Leeds United | H | 0–1 | 45,733 | |
7 March 1981 | Southampton | A | 0–1 | 22,698 | |
14 March 1981 | Aston Villa | A | 3–3 | Jordan (2), McIlroy (pen.) | 42,182 |
18 March 1981 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | Burns (o.g.) | 38,205 |
21 March 1981 | Ipswich Town | H | 2–1 | Thomas, Nicholl | 46,685 |
28 March 1981 | Everton | A | 1–0 | Jordan | 25,856 |
4 April 1981 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–0 | Duxbury | 37,954 |
11 April 1981 | Coventry City | A | 2–0 | Jordan (2) | 20,201 |
14 April 1981 | Liverpool | A | 1–0 | McQueen | 31,276 |
18 April 1981 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–1 | Jordan, Macari | 44,442 |
25 April 1981 | Norwich City | H | 1–0 | Jordan | 40,165 |
Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 50 |
8 | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 18 | 9 | 51 | 36 | +15 | 48 |
9 | Leeds United | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 44 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
FA Cup
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 January 1981 | Round 3 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–2 | Duxbury, Thomas | 42,199 |
7 January 1981 | Round 3 Replay |
Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–0 | Nicholl, Birtles | 26,915 |
24 January 1981 | Round 4 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–1 | 34,110 |
League Cup
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 August 1980 | Round 2 First leg |
Coventry City | H | 0–1 | 31,656 | |
2 September 1980 | Round 2 Second leg |
Coventry City | A | 0–1 | 18,946 |
UEFA Cup
Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A |
Scorers | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17 September 1980 | Round 1 First leg |
Widzew Łódź | H | 1–1 | McIlroy | 38,037 |
1 October 1980 | Round 1 Second leg |
Widzew Łódź | A | 0–0 | 40,000 |
Squad statistics
Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
GK | Gary Bailey | 40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
GK | Paddy Roche | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
DF | Arthur Albiston | 42 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 1 |
DF | Martin Buchan | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
DF | Mike Duxbury | 27(6) | 2 | 0(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 28(9) | 3 |
DF | Nikola Jovanović | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 4 |
DF | Gordon McQueen | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 |
DF | Kevin Moran | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 33(1) | 0 |
DF | Jimmy Nicholl | 36 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 2 |
DF | Anthony Whelan | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
MF | Steve Coppell | 42 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 6 |
MF | Ashley Grimes | 6(2) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8(2) | 2 |
MF | Lou Macari | 37(1) | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43(1) | 9 |
MF | Chris McGrath | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
MF | Sammy McIlroy | 31(1) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 36(1) | 6 |
MF | Tom Sloan | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | 0 |
MF | Mickey Thomas | 30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 3 |
MF | Ray Wilkins | 11(2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13(2) | 0 |
FW | Garry Birtles | 25 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
FW | Jimmy Greenhoff | 8(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11(1) | 0 |
FW | Joe Jordan | 33 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 15 |
FW | Scott McGarvey | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 |
FW | Andy Ritchie | 3(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(1) | 0 |
References
- ↑ "Manchester United Season 1980/81". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
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